West Fork Butte Lookout

Beautiful spot. When I went (Late Oct 2024) the last quarter mile of the road to the cabin was gated off. A super easy walk, but for me it was just me and my 2yo toddler. If i had to do it over again, I would have brought a wagon to haul gear. All of the shutters were open except half of the easy facing wall. Amazing views from inside. It was early in the cold season, so there was more than enough firewood in the shed by the outhouse. I brought up 12 logs to chop and that was more than enough to keep warm overnight that time of year. Place was clean and well kept. Pack it in, pack it out.

The view is okay. The windows still had most of the shutters on them in July. It would have been nice to see a 360 view of the mountains from inside the cabin especially at sunrise and sunset. We didn't see any animals except Chipmunks in the rocks after food. There are some amenities in the cabin others have left, like water and toilet tissue but don't depend on them being there. There are games and some kitchen utensils like silverware, pots and pans to cook on the gas stove. The stove is connected to a propane tank you need to turn on in a shed below. There is also a propane powered lantern and a battery operated lantern to light up the cabin at night. Also, there is a wood burning stove along with kindling and firewood. This place is not for the elderly or people have trouble walking as it is would be hazardous walking on the sharp rocks for people who have issues with their balance. The bathroom is at the bottom of the hill (approximately 500 ft away from the cabin) and I would not recommend going alone at night we did here growls in the middle of the night that made me imagine two grizzly bears fighting. On

Wow! What a great stay we had at this lookout. We have loved every lookout we've stayed in and this is no exception. We found the place in the dark with rain, so we got treated to jaw dropping views when the sun came up. The lookout is cozy with a wood stove and nice stack of dry wood already inside. There is a propane lantern with extra fuel, so we had some light. Unfortunately, the propane for the cookstove was empty, so we used our own stove that we brought. Always be prepared, as they say! There is a nice hiking trail that starts at the parking spot and we walked it for a couple miles just to get out of the wind and see the area. Gorgeous views and a fun weekend!

This lookout like many lookouts and cabins across the U.S. is rented to the public by local forest service offices. So when you are peeking in the windows or knocking on the door wanting a tour it is about like doing the same at someone's motel room. Kinda spooky.😁 With that said it is a well equipped lookout with great views. The sunsets, sunrises, and stars at night are amazing. Saw a bear driving up and 2 more in a clearing on the next ridge over on our last morning. Someone has spoiled the chipmunks. No other wildlife other than the constant stream of human visitors. Bring a flashlight for walks down to the outhouse in the dark as the rocks on the trail are very uneven.

Easily Accessible. I love going to this lookout for its utter convenience. You don't really need a high clearance vehicle and it's relatively close to where I live - an hour drive and I'm unloading the vehicle and cracking a beverage. There's all the basic amenities of course and a wood stove/firebox for when it gets chilly. Bunkbeds to sleep four take up most of the space in the lookout, but the bottom bunks can be used as "chairs" when you want to eat or play games at the pathetic little folding table (two good legs are all you really need, right?). The views are of course wonderful, but the last time I went up with the kids it was WAY smoky. I couldn't even get good drone footage it was so bad. Two of the four sides are blanked out so from inside it feels a bit more cramped than usual, but it doesn't completely kill the overall vibe. I mean, seriously, it's a fire lookout on top of a mountain. It's just NOT a bad place to be.